Normative Influence

Normative influence is one of the two main ways in which people influence one another in group interaction. It is a form of influence in which pressure is exerted to cause someone to conform to the expectations and preferences of others. The expectations and preferences of others function as a reference group norm that conveys how individuals ought to behave or what decision they ought to make. Although normative reference groups may exist outside the immediate group setting (e.g., religious norms), more frequently the source of the influence is a norm established or detected among those people who are physically present in the group interaction. It is instructive to contrast normative influence with the other major form of influence within groups. Informational influence refers to ...